Can babies also suffer from cataracts? Parents should pay attention to these symptoms!

When it comes to cataracts, you will definitely associate it with the elderly, but did you know that cataracts are not just a disease for the elderly? Children and even newborn babies may suffer from cataracts!

Four-year-old Xiaomei (pseudonym) always looks very close to things and often falls down for no reason when walking. Her mother, Ms. Wang, carefully observed that her child's eyes looked dull and she often did not respond when she waved toys in front of her eyes. So Ms. Wang quickly took her to the Wuhan University Affiliated Aier Eye Hospital for treatment.

After a series of examinations, Xiaomei was diagnosed with congenital cataracts in both eyes and needed surgery. "I thought only the elderly would get cataracts, but I didn't expect that children would also get it!" said Ms. Li.

Xu Li, attending physician of the Cataract and Presbyopia Department of Wuhan University Aier Eye Hospital, said: Congenital cataracts often occur before and after birth, and are common in infants and young children. They often occur in both eyes, and are mainly manifested by poor vision, poor fixation, poor response to light stimulation, and poor eye tracking of moving objects. There is no drug to treat congenital cataracts, and surgery is the only option for treating cataracts. If not treated in time, the child may suffer from amblyopia due to the occlusion of the cataract, which will also have an adverse effect on future work.

What are congenital cataracts?

Cataracts can be divided into congenital and acquired according to the time of occurrence. The most common acquired cataracts are senile cataracts that occur in middle-aged and elderly people. Congenital cataracts are congenital, with cloudy lenses appearing at birth or in infancy or youth.

Congenital cataract refers to various reasons that cause congenital heredity and developmental disorders, such as rubella virus infection, which affect the development of the lens and cause lens opacity. The prevalence of congenital cataract in newborns is about 0.5‰. Although it is not a common eye disease in children, it is an important cause of amblyopia and blindness in children.

What causes congenital cataracts?

Genetic factors : nearly half of congenital cataracts are related to genetics.

Environmental factors : during the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus in the womb may be infected by a virus that affects the lens, and the metabolism of the lens may be disturbed and destroyed; malnutrition during pregnancy, systemic diseases such as diabetes, anemia, heart disease, etc. may lead to fetal developmental abnormalities and may cause congenital cataracts.

In daily life, how do parents determine whether their children have congenital cataracts?

1. You can carefully observe whether the child's black eyeballs are white and whether the eyeballs are trembling;

2. Hold a light source (such as a flashlight) and wave it in front of the child to observe the child's ability to follow and sensitivity to the light source;

3. Observe the child’s accuracy in grasping objects.

Wang Yong, associate professor, chief physician, deputy director of the Youth Committee of the Ophthalmology Branch Committee of the Chinese Geriatrics Society, deputy director of the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University, and director of the Cataract and Presbyopia Department, reminded that improper treatment of congenital cataracts may cause lifelong amblyopia in children. If parents find that their children have eye abnormalities, they should take their children to the hospital for examination in time to determine whether there is visual impairment, etc. The Cataract and Presbyopia Department of the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University has now opened a congenital cataract clinic to provide targeted diagnosis and treatment services for children with congenital cataracts.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University (Wuhan Aier Eye Hospital) now has 30 specialized ophthalmology clinics, including dry eye clinic, high myopia clinic, floaters clinic, maculopathy clinic, diabetic eye disease clinic, pediatric tear duct clinic, ptosis clinic, myopia prevention and control clinic, and refractory glaucoma clinic, implementing precision medicine and specialized treatment for specialized diseases. The hospital also has a special clinic for famous doctors, and invites nationally renowned ophthalmologists to sit in regularly to provide diagnosis and treatment solutions for patients with difficult eye diseases. Weekend expert clinics and night clinics are also "open all the time" to fully guarantee the treatment needs of the majority of patients.